AFRICA – Marriott International, an American multinational diversified hospitality company, has unveiled plans of growing its Africa and Middle East portfolio by adding 19 new properties and more than 3,000 rooms as part of its overall growth strategy.
The company said that this is in line with its ambitions of growing its portfolio by 45% through the end of 2023 with over 100 properties under development
Marriot said it seeks to add more than 100 new properties and nearly 26,000 rooms across the region by the end of 2023 propelled by that growing demand for its diverse brands.
Jerome Briet, Chief Development Officer, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International said;
“Our growth across the Middle East and Africa is fuelled by a strong demand for our diverse range of well-established brands, each offering different attributes that cater to this region’s ever changing and evolving marketplace.
This region continues to present us with opportunities to further grow and enhance our portfolio across new and established markets.
While the majority of our growth will be through new-builds, we are seeing an increasing number of conversion opportunities, especially in the luxury space.”
The hospitality group estimates its development pipeline through 2023 represents up to US$8 billion of investment from property owners and is expected to generate over 20,000 new jobs across the region.
This year, the company has opened five new properties in the region and is expected to add 14 more – bringing its portfolio across the Middle East and Africa to nearly 270 properties and over 60,000 rooms – by the end of the year.
The company expects to grow its luxury portfolio in 2019 with seven anticipated openings across four brands in Dubai, Egypt, North Island, Kenya, Algeria and Oman.
The company is poised to expand its luxury footprint in the regions by more than 70 percent by the end of 2023, with more than 25 luxury properties under development.
By the end of 2019, the company expects to have added four new hotels under its premium portfolio for the region which include Autograph Collection through Sankara Nairobi.
Expanding Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
In addition to the openings in 2019, Marriott is also focused on the transformation journey of its most global brand, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts.
Currently representing over 40 percent of the company’s development pipeline through 2023, select-serve brands continue their rapid growth trajectory across the Middle East and Africa.
Building on the momentum from 2018 – with ten properties added across the region, including four Aloft hotels in the UAE – the company expects to add seven new properties by the end of this year in Uganda, Algeria Tanzania and Pakistan.
Among the major brands targeted in the expansion include; Four Points by Sheraton, Residence Inn, Protea Hotels and Element Hotels- to launch its first property in Africa with the opening of Element Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
